Women's Basketball Looks For Fourth Straight Win
1/16/2009 11:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game 17 at Evansville ? Saturday, Jan. 17 ? 4:00 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Evansville Purple Aces
Roberts Stadium ? Evansville, Ind.
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com ? Video: www.gocreighton.com
Series History: Creighton leads 22-9
Last Meeting: CU won 82-71 in Omaha, Feb. 17, 2008
? The game can be heard on Spirit 88.9 FM (KVSS) and online at www.kvss.com. Nick Handley and Rob Simms will call the action.
? Live video and live stats for this game and select road games can be found at www.gocreighton.com.
? Kelsey Woodard was averaging 17.6 points and shooting 21-for-41 (.512) from three-point range in CU's five games prior to Thursday night.
? Woodard ranks seventh in the NCAA with 3.0 three-pointers per game.
? CU ranks 11th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game, fourth in three-point field goal percentage and 18th in three-pointers per game.
? CU shot 15-of-23 from three-point range against Missouri State (Jan. 8), just one trey shy of the school record.
? Creighton's 58.6 field goal percentage against Missouri State (Jan. 8) was the best shooting day by the Jays in nearly 13 years.
? Stephani Rhoten scored a career-high 12 points and Kellie Nelson had a season-high 13 points against Missouri State on Jan. 8.
? Creighton is 22-9 all-time against Evansville, including 11-3 on UE's home court. CU has won three of the last four meetings with the Purple Aces.
Scouting the Bluejays (8-8, 3-2 MVC)
Creighton had won two straight before its game at SIU on Thursday ... The Jays started 2-5 on the road this year, including 0-2 in MVC play ... CU had the strongest non-conference strength of schedule in the MVC, including five games with Big 12 foes and three top-25 opponents ... The Bluejays lead the MVC with 7.4 three-point field goals made per game, including 8.5 per game in MVC play ... CU ranks 11th in the NCAA with only 14.1 turnovers per game and is fourth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.398) ... Junior Megan Neuvirth leads the MVC and is 29th in the NCAA with 9.9 rebounds per game, while she tops the team in assists, steals and blocked shots ... Sophomore Kelsey Woodard leads the Jays and is second in the MVC with 17.8 points per game in Valley play ... Junior Chevelle Herring leads the team and ranks fourth in the MVC with 14.9 points per game ... Herring, Woodard and Neuvirth rank 1-2-3 in minutes played in the MVC ... Starters Michelle Kaus and Sam Schuett are both injured and out for the year.
Scouting the Purple Aces (8-7, 1-3 MVC)
Evansville is 5-2 at home this year, 8-7 overall ... The Purple Aces lead the MVC with a 72.3 free-throw percentage, but rank last in the Valley with a 36.2 field goal percentage, including a league-worst 33.9 percent in MVC play ... The Aces average 5.4 three-pointers per game on the year, but have made just 7-of-38 (.184) through three MVC games ... Nebraska native Amy Gallagher leads the team with 12.7 points per game, including 15 per game in MVC play ... Robyn Jennings tops the team with 7.2 rebounds per game, to compliment her 12 points per game ... Jennings leads the MVC, shooting 47.1 percent from three-point range, and is second in free-throw percentage (.857) ... Ashley Austin chips in 11.4 points ... Shannon Novosel is second on the team with 5.4 rebounds per game, to go along with her 9.7 points per game.
The Coaches
Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) has led his team to four WNIT postseason appearances and three 20-win seasons in his first six seasons at Creighton. In 2003 he became the winningest rookie coach in school and MVC history and led the Jays to the 2004 WNIT Championship. Now in his seventh season at CU, his overall mark is 116-88 (.569). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Misty Murphy (Colorado State, 1998) is in her first season as a Division I head coach. She spent the previous three seasons on the Rice coaching staff and was previously a head coach at NCAA Division II Colorado State-Pueblo and Sheridan Junior College in Wyoming. Her career head coaching mark is 116-71.
CU-UE Series History
Creighton leads the all-time series with Evansville, 22-9, including an impressive 11-3 mark on UE's home court. The Jays have lost two of their last three trips to Evansville, including a 75-60 loss last Jan. 17. CU has won 12 of the last 15 meetings with UE, but is just 3-3 in the last six match ups. The Jays topped the Aces 82-71 in Omaha in their last meeting.
Last Year vs. Evansville
Each team won on its home court last year, with UE winning 75-60 on Jan. 17 and the Jays winning 82-71 on Feb. 17. The Jays shot 15.8 percent (3-19) from three-point range in Evansville last year. CU led at half, 30-29, and led by as many as seven in the second half, only to see UE go on a 17-2 run and take control of the game. UE scored the final 10 points of the game in its win. Sara Cain was the only Bluejay to score in double figures in the loss, while Rebekah Parker led all Aces with 19 points. In CU's win, Kellie Nelson scored a career-high 16 points ? all in the first half. Kelsey Woodard added 15 points and Kristina Voss had 12 in the victory. CU out-rebounded UE 48-25 and shot 50 percent from the field in the victory. The Jays shot just 23.5 percent (8-34) from three-point range against UE last year, but averaged a plus-12.5 rebounds per game (45.0-32.5).
Individuals vs. Evansville
Sophomores Kelsey Woodard and Kellie Nelson performed well against the Purple Aces as freshmen last year. Woodard averaged 12 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds, while not missing any of her seven free-throw attempts. Nelson scored a career-high 16 against UE and averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds against the Aces last year. Kristina Voss averaged 10.5 points against UE last year and averages 8.2 ppg against the Aces in her career.
